My Digital Footprint

 

The year was 2011. I was just going into my first year of middle school and people started to talk about this thing called snapchat. At the time, I wasn’t interested in anything that had to with social media stuff or anything of that nature. I was raised to be wary of the internet and spent most of my time on my phone fueling my video game addiction and using it for what I got it for. Talking to my parents, talking to my brother, and making sure that I got a ride home. In fact, my phone couldn’t even run snapchat or anything like that because… 

This is what I had to work with. I barely used my ipod touch at that point, which my brother and I both had at that point as well. He would have been in high school at the time and was thoroughly addicted to the app, so in an effort to make myself seem different from my brother… I stuck with the older stuff. I would get a phone in the next year or so as I started hanging out with friends more and my parents started to leave me at the house alone, but still wouldn’t get on snapchat till the 8th grade, right before my freshman year of highschool.

At this point, my digital footprint was non existent. Even still because I don’t post anything on my social media anywhere, this is what comes up when you search my name. People on their soundcloud, different news articles, twitter, and linkedin photos. You can gather a lot of information though from just these simple image searches as well, which is what I will mainly be focusing on today when it comes to the before images. I can gather that these people here are athletes, this woman right here is a part of the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame and was inducted recently, within the last two years. You can also get the sense that most people with the name Olivia or Farrell, or both, are white or caucasian presenting. 

Now when we narrow down the search to learn more about me specifically, let’s move on to if we had a few other keywords as well.

Now that we add drumline in front, the things that come up are significantly narrowed down to things that have to do with me, and things that I’m involved in. What comes up is a photo of me from freshman year during an interview that was done during the first year that marching band was founded. Right next to it is the photo that is used for my linkedin. The next two photos are from band camp when I was a sophomore, over here is an instagram post about me that has to do with my involvement in Kappa Kappa Psi, the band fraternity. 

I could go on about what you learn from this, but why don’t I break it down for you.

You learn that my name is Olivia Farrell.

 

Now this is self-explanatory. You would have to know my name to look me up on google or anything, but this does a lot more than just give you my name. This gives you access to the photos that I showed you before on top of access to my parents. It’s highly likely that people will be named Olivia or have the last name Farrell, but it’s not as likely to be Olivia Farrell born to parents Christine and David Farrell, even if their names are insanely common as well. 

From the interview that is attached to the first photo of me that comes up, as well as the first link that comes up, is that I started as freshman at High Point University in 2020. Meaning that I was a freshman around the age of 18 or 19 at the time. Now, two years later, I am either 20 or 21 years old based on some simple math. This simple math also leads to the conclusion that, if everything went right in regards to schooling.

I am a junior. This means that I am more than halfway done with my college career and most likely, you would be able to find what my bachelors will be in or if I’m going to be seeking higher education based on my linkedin. This is also insanely telling of my socioeconomic status or if I might be taking out loans to achieve this level of education. However, if you were able to find my parents and see where they went to school or to look up what kind of school high point is, you might make an assumption that I can afford this school at least to some degree. You also might find that information out from the scholarship information that comes with being a part of the band.

Looking further into the interview that I mentioned before and the linkedin account that I have. You can figure out very quickly that I am currently in North Carolina, most like the Highpoint-Greensboro-Winston-Salem area, but now with that information aside, you can also find out where I am originally from. In the interview that I did they introduced my quote by saying my last name and where I am from. Not only does this give you an idea of where I live, but further dives into socioeconomic status since this area is definitely not a cheap place to live. On top of that, they, they being the person that is making these google searches, also are now familiar with where my family might be or if we had lived there at one point.

Finally through my linkedin, interview, and photos online it’s safe to say that I have a lot riding on what happens here on campus at times. I’m at almost every sports game because of my involvement with the band, I practice for hours a week because of the band which is also on campus, Nido and I are on a first name basis at this point because of it, I perform shows in front of the student body multiple times a week, etc, etc. 

This has all been a really convoluted way to make a large warning label for everyone. It’s a label that reads: if you are a part of any photo on campus, any group on campus, or have a linkedin, people will easily learn about you. 

I lucked out even more since I don’t have any pictures on my Instagram or any other form of social media. Ultimately, what I learned today is that my own media literacy even at a young age really helped me in the long run as there isn’t anything embarrassing about me on the internet that I didn’t put out there myself. Another thing that people would learn from what’s up there is that I’m reliable, driven, I have musical talent, and I’ve held a leadership position for almost my entire four years here on this campus. 

This class made me insanely thankful for my past self for making the correct decisions, my current self in adding to those facts that are out there, and my future self for being an appealing candidate to employers while also keeping myself relatively safe given the information out there. I can only hope that I am able to maintain this level of safety and help others to do the same.

The Eight Values of Free Expression

 After reading the Eight Values of Free Expression, there are a lot of things that I found that really resonate with me, and some that I actually disagree with. A lot of these values that struck a chord with me have to do with personal reasons or things that I have heard being the case for others. On the other side of the coin, there are things that I definitely feel strongly that are not necessarily true for all. I will look at these values one by one and explain my feelings on each (in a timely manner, of course). 

1. Marketplace of Ideas (aka Discovery of Truth)

I agree that this is an excellent value that strikes a chord with me especially because of my background in creative fields. A marketplace of ideas is "the concept that in a society, different beliefs can freely compete with one another in an open, transparent public discourse instead of being censored by the government or some part of society." By this definition, it should be something that people heavily support within America. It's how we are able to have a two party system because of the existence of two different ideas in an open discourse. It also is the same reason that we have open places of protest (i.e D.C.) where they are able to practice transparent public discourse. 

2. Participation in Self-Government

Of course this one is also as important, maybe even more so than the Marketplace of Ideas. The entire point of our constitution, the two-party system, and the democracy that we are founded on is an attempt at stopping the formation of a king or dictator. Allowing citizens to participate in self-government reinforces those ideals by making sure people are informed and are making the best choices for themselves and/or their country. I spoke about this in my final EOTO but the minute that people are unable to get important information about those that they are voting for, the minute that we are losing our control over our say in the government.

3. Stable Change 

When I first read this value, I thought of a soda can. The more that you shake it up without opening it, the more likely it is to explode and make a mess. However, if you are to shake it and then open the can, it will spill over. The difference between these two is that a can that has exploded has no drink left to offer along with the structure of the can being destroyed in the process, while a can that has spilled over can still be enjoyed and can even be refilled. This value is insanely important, especially as a younger person that before I was able to vote, all I could do was vent and hope that people would make choices that would benefit my own. I absolutely agree with the rest of the value and see that it makes a lot of sense that this would also allow for safe envir
onment to monitor those that are angry. Giving a place to vent, unlike China or some Middle Eastern countries, is the best way to deter violence and get a sense of who would enact violence of venting isn't enough. We've seen this plenty of times in today's age with BLM, MeToo, Stonewall, Boston Tea Party, America's Founding, etc. There are so many examples of things where venting was necessary before it exploded that it honestly seems like it might just be human nature. We have a problem, we vent, we explode, we come down, and then we forget about it after a few months.

4. Individual Self-Fulfillment

This is one of the values that of course, from a fundamental point I really support, but from a realistic perspective I don't. Self-fulfillment, or self-actualization, is a concept heavily saturated within clinical and behavioral psychology. It seems like an amazing thing to hit at some point, as we see on the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. With a bit of a psychology background, the minute that I read this value I groaned. Self-actualization can be seen at the very tip of the pyramid, and of course that's after everything else is fulfilled (i.e food, water, shelter, socialization, love, etc.) It's the one thing that people become even more depressed following so that's why, as a value, I really don't agree with it. 

5. Check on Governmental Power

Like we talked about in class, gatekeeping exists in all forms and in different ways. It also ties in heavily with venting and being able to self-govern, I would say. A lot of the examples of Clintongate I've seen all have to do with people not liking how things are being run so they attempt to gatekeep or boycott a specific thing for a reason that they deem justified. This usually comes in a form of protest or other ways that they voice their displeasure. I think that this value is what separates us from communist countries or those with dictatorships. We are able to do this with small to no repercussions as long as we're using our first amendment rights properly. Our freedom of press allows us to learn about the issues that make us upset or when things were mishandled and swept under the rug, while our freedom of protest and speech allows us to openly vent. All in all, the same reason that venting is necessary is similar to the reason that this is important as well. 

6. Promote Tolerance

This is definitely one that I don't agree with. Call it the fact that I'm a Gen Z, but the thought of tolerating hate just sounds like a waste. There should be a better definition of hate speech so that it can be properly separated from just plain old bullying. I'm not saying that people shouldn't have thick skin either. I have heard a lot of things in my short time on earth that are pretty hurtful all things considered, some even being defined as hate speech, but that doesn't stop me from going out and doing the things I love, or being the person that I love. Tolerance of hate is compliance, in my personal opinion, so this value is one that I fundamentally can't agree with. Saying bad things that people don't agree with is infinitely different than threatening someone's identity. 

7. Promote Innovation 

Creativity, as someone in a creative field, is a value that I personally find incredibly important. I can see that correlation between free speech equaling a higher level of creativity within a community, as well. The more free you are to speech, the more free you are to think. The more free you are to think, the more free you are to act. Innovation is the key to progression, and to have that free speech is a must. Hate is destructive by nature and in a roundabout way, I think that this value actually disproves number 6. If you are tolerant, you stay stagnant. However, if you are progressing and moving past things that are wrong, that is by definition promoting innovation. 

8. Protect Dissent

This point I think is really often forgotten or misconstrued that minority views are more important than majority views. Both should be equitable with the eventual result being equality. This value is also a reference to the fact that we are able to disagree with our government, as opposed to other places like North Korea or China. Ultimately, I think this value is important as well given that it's one of the main things that separates us from other global powers. Without Free Speech, America isn't that much better or separated from other countries.

I think in general, I do really appreciate all the values listed here. They really got me thinking about my role within my Freedom of Speech and within self-government. While I might not have agreed with the importance of all of these opinions, I think that it's an excellent foundation for a functional and fair America.  

SCOTUS History: Farrell

The Supreme Court is something that as a woman, I'm very familiar with (especially as of late). Or at least, that's what I thought. There was a lot of things about SCOTUS that I wasn't aware of and a lot of it had to do with the history behind it. I wasn't aware that they first assembled in February of 1790 in New York City, although a lot of important things have happened there so that isn't at all surprising. I also found it really interesting when it comes to the checks and balances that they have to go through to make sure that they are effectively being constitutional. This was especially interesting when it comes to the procedure they have to go through to pass an original jurisdiction.  The definition of an original jurisdiction is when the Supreme Court is the first and only group to hear about a court case. 

 

I think there are a few take-away points that come with the Supreme Court that I found really interesting. Honestly what made me think the most or put it into perspective was that these judges at some point were college students just like us and clawed their way up to fight for our rights, or at least the rights that they deem to be constitutional. Of course that isn't necessarily what the most important part of the Supreme Court is, but I felt it needed to be mentioned so that we might keep them in perspective: they are just human beings. I think another thing, like I said before, that I found interesting was that they do have so many checks and balances. I definitely was someone when I was younger that would get outraged by the lack of action taken on all sides since these things were directly affecting my rights at times. But these people, who like I said are just human, have to go through countless hours and going past wall after wall to pass small laws. 

My Top 5 News Outlets: Farrell

News Outlets: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

By Olivia Farrell

Our access to news has never been easier. Thanks to our phones, computers, and watches we are able to absorb news at faster rates. However, what this means for the days of newspapers and even watching the news is something that has become far less attainable. According to Homewood Health, our attention spans are evolving to become shorter because of the influence of mobile devices and ready Internet access.

Due to this shorter attention span, a lot of the news that people like myself are starting to take in is a shorter, more condensed format that loses the more specific details. Here is my list of news outlets that I partake in as often as I can, although some of them are on accident.

1. Tiktok

Tiktok is, albeit, a rather looked down upon app. There are countless amounts of controversies surrounding it especially with the nature of its content and the creators as well. However, there have been recent turns with reporters and different news organizations moving there to start putting news out there. Short form has become insanely trending and they've started to capitalize on that. On top of all of this, creators have been integral in a movement to make news more accessible. This has caused the number of %22 of consumers getting their news from the app to go up by 11 percentage points in 2022. While this doesn't seem like a sizable number, you have to consider the amount of people that actually partake in Tiktok. The social media app has 750 million monthly users as of 2022, which makes 33% of consumers that get their news from Tiktok a whopping 247500000 people monthly. I don't mind admitting that I and plenty of my friends are part of that 33% and being apart of that demographic has allowed me access to a lot of news. However, this news might not necessarily be the most important thing in the world, but it's still the news that I consume the most (it's more of a guilty pleasure).

2. Snapchat

Speaking of guilty pleasures, news that is found on Snapchat is some of the lowest of the low. You have plenty of news articles that you are able to go through that are really solid, such as Now This, Fox News, CNN, etc. There are less than desirable sources as well, ones that are curated especially for those that are into raunchy news that is from the bottom of the barrel. The Daily Mail, a British paper, is one that comes to mind and it is notorious for tabloid news that is tone deaf, shallow, and all around stupid. I, of course, read this at least once a week when I'm standing in the mail line in Slane or in between homework. It's entertaining and makes you feel way better about yourself when you see Kim Kardashian losing it over her daughter not having the next Gucci shoes for the following school year. It's not important news, but it's news nonetheless that some people find enjoyment in.

3. Apple News

In all fairness, I haven't been super up-to-speed when it comes to my Apple News recommendations. However, I do believe that this option on your phone as a built-in app is insanely smart and helpful for those that can causally intake very important topics. It gives you assorted news stories from the topics you like, all written by the news sources you love. Of course, this could cause a really easy lack of diversified information if all you are reading is Fox or the New York Times, but it's better than no information at all. 

4. Reddit

Reddit is a lesser known website that is only frequented by those that are depraved, bored, or all of the above. Most of the time, I'm just bored. 

There are plenty of different "subreddits" or different, smaller forums that people are able to post and share their opinions on a plethora of subjects. If it exists, there is a very big chance that you will somehow find a subreddit dedicated to the topic or at least a one-off post about it. There have been a lot of controversies surrounding Reddit as the accessibility to posting different videos or images leaves a lot of room for those depraved people I was talking about to post some pretty heinous stuff. Most of the time, it isn't taken down as quickly as it would be on Youtube or Instagram, however the news stories that are there are full of information that might not be as easily found if you were to look at just any other news site. 

I can't say that I read from here as much as I used to when I was in high school, but if I really needed to do some digging on a niche topic, I would go there first to at least get an idea of where else I might start my search at. 

5. My Father

Now my father and I have some pretty differing political opinions on most things. Actually, I think we disagree on almost everything political. 

With that being said, having that disagreeing voice is a great way to get the other side of the story that you might not want to listen to normally, but have to because they are your guardian and you live under their roof when you're back home. 

We have a lot of discussions about different topics while I'm at home and almost all of them end with us still not agreeing with each other, but understanding where the other person is coming from. This, is 100 times more important than making someone believe the same things that you do, in my opinion, and is the reason why having your political opinions define what friends you make or who you talk to doesn't make sense.